About Me

Vetsy is my nickname that my family have fondly called me since my childhood.
My blog reflects my personal views about the world around me. My topics may be anything that interest me but the majority of it is about my favorite past times...nature and gardening.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment or becoming a follower.

Monday, January 24, 2011

There are many flowers and plants I would love to grow, but do not have the knowledge, or experience to do so. Roses are one of these that I speak of.. But this year I’m going to try my hand at it anyway.

I have always thought roses to be beautiful and romantic, but did not care for the thorns, diseases and bugs like the Japanese beetle and aphids to name a few.

I wanted roses that did not entail pain, and a lot of work, and I always envied the gardener who appeared to grow them without breaking a sweat. Now, don’t get me wrong… I’m aware that most plants and flowers have a few nemeses, and will need a little maintenance from time to time….. But I’m happy to learn that Mother Nature has designed a few that will allow us to just sit and enjoy them with little effort.

During an internet search I came across several breeds of roses from the Antique (Old fashioned rose) to the Modern hybrid that may fit the bill.

Through these sources, I have learned that I too, can grow roses regardless of my lack of wisdom and brown thumbs. I learned that many of the Antique roses are hardy, meaning that they are resistant to the diseases and bugs that plagued most hybrid roses.

Other possible picks are the Shrub and the Modern rose, both possessing the cross genes of sturdy roses, giving them the same inherit resistance to fend off most ills that plagued roses, these attributes however, does not mean that you won’t deal with ANY pest or disease issues, It means that these breeds have the fighting power to bounce back if attacked!

I have also learned that if I wanted roses I had to be forgiving of their thorniness and avoid thorny painful pricks, by investing in a good pair of garden gloves.. Go figure!

I read that sheepskin garden gloves are the best, and I have my eye on a pair of gloves called Bionic Rose gloves by Active wear. http://www.activeforever.com

If you own a pair of Bionic rose gloves, please share your views about them, In-fact drop me a line about any of your favorite garden gloves that you just can't live without.

Below is a list of roses on my wish list. I uploaded photos from our gardening friends of Flickr. I’d like to Thank Flickr and all the nice people there that share and allow me/ us to use their lovely photos. .. I have certainly found them very helpful when I need examples on the spot.

Please share your stories, experiences and tips about these, and your own favorite rose/roses; I would love to hear from you.

Tea rose ( Isabella Sprunt 1855)

Photo credits: by Garden25of flickr.com

I chose this lovely rose because I read that it’s a good one for the beginner. It can take on the climates of the South and has good disease resistance. It was bred in Duplin county, NC, by the Rev.Dr. James. M. Sprunt who named it after his daughter Isabella . It’s a fragrant repeat bloomer and hardy in zones 6-9.

Kiss Me Rose

Photo credit: by last_woodsman of flickr.com

Shrub rose Kiss me: ‘ Rosa kiss me’ This one belongs to a collection of roses called “ Easy Elegance” Wow what a cuttie! It is a multi-stemmed rose that blooms all year. It’s hardy, highly disease resistant and fragrant. It can handle the likes of the city (urban areas ) and is not picky about soil ph… Just don’t allow it to stand in water… Kiss me hates that!

Everest Double Bloom

Everest Double Bloom: (Peter Beales 1979) this beautiful rose with its pink and apricot hues is highly scented and very disease resistant. I chose it because of its soft peachy color… I have forgotten where I first saw this rose; it may have been from one of my catalogs and unfortunately I don’t happen to know where that catalog is. A gardener I found on the net expressed that this rose actually has three scents. Smelling like apples and cloves in the morning and a more common rose scent in the evening. For more on this rose follow the link … http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2682.0

Knockout rose: introduced 2000: (“Rosa Knockout) a modern shrub rose family that are very disease resistant and low maintenance ; they are very popular with residential gardeners and commercial establishments for this reason... Another plus for these roses are that they need no deadheading.

Sunny Knockout: ( Rosa’ Radsunny’) is new to this family of roses; it is the first fragrant knockout in this line and the first yellow knockout. They bloom from spring until frost. I came across this rose while browsing at my local garden center; I smelled it way before I saw it… It has a wonderful citrus fragrance…. I love it.

Belinda’s DreamShrub roseintroduced in 1992: I have heard tones of good, about Belinda’s Dream; it is a modern shrub rose with a bushy habit, I read that it’s a repeat bloomer and can take on heat from the likes of Florida; it’s virtually carefree with very little pest or disease problems, how’s black spot and powdery mildew resistant work for You! It will certainly work for me!

It also has a wonderful sweet fragrance, some gardener’s say that of raspberries.

I first came across this rose at my favorite park, Belle Isle, several years ago. The park has a flower house called the Ann Script Whitcomb conservatory. I caught the scent of this rose as I passed it along the back of a brick wall where it towered 8 feet or more, some label it a climber, others a shrub, it is thornless and it too had a wonderful sweet fragrance like that of raspberries. It was the scent of this rose that sparked my curiosity and desire to seek out scented roses for my future gardens... However I have read conflicting stories concerning this rose... Some express no issues with its care; while others expressed that they have suffered all the ill’s that plague roses. I assume that climate may play a factor in the care of this rose.

If you own one please share your experiences and tips... I would greatly appreciate it.

A mystery rose I call Ollie after my grandfather

I transplanted this rose from my grandparent's garden over 20 years ago, and placed it at my front garden gate. It blooms about twice, once in May and again in June. It is not scented, but I thought had a lovely color. It starts out as it unfolds with a deep velvety reddish purple, (see photo below ) then when completely opened, a velvety hue of red that I can't quite describe.

It is a hardy shrub rose that I suspect my be an Antique rose, for it has the hardy characteristics of the old fashioned roses that stand the test of time. Aphids and diseases have attacked it numerous times over the years, and my lack of knowledge on rose care didn't help matters much, But I am pleased to say, that it is still here today. Thank you for any assistance in the identification of this rose.

I'd like to give a special little thanks to the FlowerLady of Flower Lady's Musings, for her helpful tips and advice. Visit her site if you like, and take a look at her lovely roses at http://flowerladysmusings.blogspot.com